PULASKI, Tenn. — A 62-year-old Tennessee man has been charged with aggravated statutory rape after authorities say he married a 16-year-old girl in Alabama and then returned to live with her in Tennessee, where the age of consent is 18 and no marital exemptions apply.
Michael Dewayne Holley of Pulaski was arrested December 11 following a months-long investigation sparked by tips from concerned citizens, according to local police. Authorities said Holley had been living with the girl and referred to her as his “bride.”
Police confirmed the pair legally married in Alabama, where individuals as young as 16 can marry with parental consent. However, investigators said the relationship became illegal once the couple returned to Tennessee, where state law strictly prohibits sexual contact with minors under 18 regardless of marital status…